This week’s military coup in Honduras has complicated the power struggle in the region. Honduras as well as Latin America has not had a military coup in the region for many years. Lets first define what a military coup is according to Wikipedia a military coup is the sudden, unconstitutional deposition of a legitimate government by a small group of supports consists of the infiltration of a small, but critical, segment of the state apparatus, which is then used to displace the government from its control of the remainder.”
Most of these are small blocs of current government officials that are not happy with the current form of government or there policies. In the case of Honduras, Mr. Zelaya the current president is not very popular with the people due to the conditions of the economy and the direction the country is heading. Mr. Micheletti is a member of Mr. Zelaya’s liberal party. But, there is strong opposition to Mr. Zelaya’s plans to overturn a constitutional amendment that would allow him to stay in power for longer than the 4 years that it provides any one person.
So a armed mob of supporters stormed into the presidential palace and kidnapped the current president Mr. Zelaya. They then the congress then named Mr. Micheletti its current interim president for the rest of the term or until new elections can be held.
It seems that in the eyes of sum that the consequences for the good out way the consequences for the bad. The good consequences that are seen by many is that there is still order within the democratic constitution and by replacing Mr. Zelaya that they have saved the constitutional order. But, the flip side of that coin is that it can also be seen as a undermining of the democratic process since the Honduran congress is not allowed to vote on the referendum. The people then are not allowed to vote on whether it would be allowed to pass or not.
In one way we can see that there are those that are seen as protecting and those that wish to see the democratic process work. I am torn on which way this should go. I am a strong believer in the democratic process and the freedom for the people to vote in their leaders. But, after seeing local reactions sometimes actions are justified in the process of protecting the democratic process.
President Zelaya is currently being back by Hugo Chavez who has in his own country repeatedly changed the constitution to allow him to stay in power. Is that a free and fair election? The people never get a chance to vote. But, the democratic power of both sides should be allowed to work. Elections for the Honduran president are just around the corner and the need to be fulfilled through the constitutional procedure. Or it will undermine everything that Honduras has created so far and the freedoms it is trying to protect.
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